“It was guts and heart,” Scott coach Chris Dames said. “I think they just played their butts off.”

Thomas Vetter paced the Irish with a team-high 19 points, while Marcus Winters added 16, including four 3-pointers. DeShone Kizer finished with nine points on three 3-pointers.

Scott’s Larry Green, left, gets a hug from teammate Percy Bogan after Bogan hit a game-tying shot during the second overtime at Central Catholic.THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISONEnlarge
|
Buy This Photo

Both teams had chances to win.

However, the Bulldogs, who have played only one home game this season, showed a little more resiliency by the time the teams had reached the third four-minute extra period.

Dames credited Darrington, a 6-foot junior, for providing a sense of steadiness throughout the contest.

“He was a leader tonight,” Dames said of Darrington. “He was active and talking on the floor, and if he’s getting to the basket there’s no one better.”

Neither team scored during the first overtime after Central held the ball for the final three minutes of the extra period to take one last shot. Scott sat back in a zone and was also content with the Irish taking time off the clock.

Central got the shot it wanted — a baseline jumper from 3-point territory by Winters — but the shot rattled out of the rim. A last-second heave by Darrington from behind the halfcourt line banked off the glass and bounced off the rim as time expired.

Both teams found ways to score in the second overtime, which finished tied at 56.

Scott opened the third overtime with a 6-1 run and held the lead the rest of the way.

Playing without Harris, a 6-foot senior point guard, didn’t stop the Bulldogs from their up-tempo approach.

With sophomore Larry Green playing in Harris’ starting spot, Scott was able to jump out to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter. The Bulldogs closed out the period holding on to a 11-8 lead.

Scott maintained the lead through the second quarter and took a 25-22 lead into halftime.

Darrington carried the Bulldogs in the first half, scoring 10 points before the break, including eight during the second quarter.

The Irish trailed by as much as six points in the first half. Winters provided a lift by scoring nine points in the second quarter, knocking down three 3-pointers. Vetter kept the Irish close early by scoring six of his seven points in the first half during the opening period.

Recommended for You

Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.